The Exact Moment
by SharpestSatire
Summary: The exact moment Fang realized he was in love with Maximum Ride. Oneshot. Short and cliche.


**Claimer: I claim the right to disclaim Maximum Ride. Consider it claimed.**

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Truthfully, Fang believed in love at first sight. Yes, Fang, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome, actually did think about things like that. Love, life, peace, running away from evil scientists… the works.

Fang even had someone in mind. She would be tall, redheaded, tan, perfect and a swimsuit model. Oh, and the older, the better. Preferably someone rich too.

I.e.: every hormonal boy's dream.

He was completely blindsided when he 'found' someone a bit…different. He didn't know quite what happened. He came down the stairs of the E house one morning and saw Max standing next to Nudge.

She was stroking Nudge's brown hair, listening absently while looking down with such a soft smile and with such love that it made her seem gentle, relaxed, caring and… beautiful. Since Fang had seen the cold face Max wore when kicking an Eraser's nose in, he couldn't believe this sight. He was frozen in the doorway, watching Max's face light up when she laughed suddenly at something Nudge said. His stomach flipped.

He'd seen scenes like this before, of course. If he'd paid attention, he might have noticed how he liked Max – _as a sister_, he would suppose – a little more after each scene. She is able to scold Iggy for blowing up her alarm (_again_), wrestle Gazzy into the tub (_without _splashing water), tame Nudge's wild hair (_without_ making her scream in pain), and protect Angel all at once while still being the same 'indestructible' and 'dangerous' Maximum Ride the School feared and hated.

Watching Max with Nudge right then made him realize that love isn't an instantaneous feeling, like a zap. It's a slow, priceless emotion to be treasured and nurtured: building slowly until it's an undying passion. Even if you didn't realize that it was harvesting in your heart until you saw the love of your life do a small thing – such as listening to Nudge when almost no one else would.

Yup. That was the exact moment Fang could say he fell in love with the incredible, indescribable Maximum Ride.

~MR: THE EXACT MOMENT~

Denial. That was something Max was very accustomed to. Very. Even if she didn't always realize it. When she did let The Thought (as she called it) sneak in, it would say, _Well, when you're in denial, doesn't that mean what you're in denial about is true? _That's when she decides to stop thinking.

Fang was her best friend, her wingman and her _brother_, darn it.

Max was pretty sure love _was_ family. In fact, until she hit puberty, she never associated love with anything but family.

However, _after _she hit puberty, she discovered that love was not just family, but one part confusing, two parts denial. Well, for her at least

The exact moment denial hit was the exact moment she fell in love with him.

So when did love, unrelated to family, begin for Max? It's a little embarrassing for Max to admit, but when she fell in love with Fang, they were teaching Angel to fly. Sometime after they escaped the School and Jeb was still with them, Angel had fallen from her attempt to fly and skinned her knee. It was Fang who comforted her, who helped her get back up. So Max watched. When she saw Fang's dark head bent over Angel's little blonde one, his face betraying his worry, her heart did… _something_. She'd always taken Fang as a rock, but she realized that he did have a different side that was caring, gentle and…

Well, that was the exact moment denial began: watching Angel and Fang. And the exact moment she fell in love with him.

_Not _that she'd admit it for a while yet.

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***shrugs* What can I say? Glass is probably the most depressing story I've ever written. Needed a break from it. So I wrote a light fluff. And, hey, I'll be the first to admit it's cliché and not original, but honestly? I really needed a break from Glass. But I hope this cliché, fluff filled fanfic at least made you smile!**

**I was inspired to write this by Princess of the Not-So-Alive's story called "Rainbow." Go check it out. It's so cute. I didn't copy it, but it did inspire me. So thanks, Princess of the Not-So-Alive!**

**Back to writing Glass. Oh, well. Fun while it lasted.**

**Thank you, awesome Juliet, for beta-ing this! For being my beta period, lol.**

**~SS**


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